A CRIMINOLOGIST from Maldon has praised Maldon District Council for restricting advertising boards on the High Street pavements.

Maldon District Council sent out letters to businesses on Maldon High Street in November 2015 asking them to remove their advertising boards from the pavement, and that they would require planning permission to put them out again.

David Wilkin, of Spital Road, Maldon, specialises in disablist issues, believes that while commercial interests of Maldon businesses must be respected, advertising boards prevented the street from being accessible for all members of the public.

David said: “Before the ban on A-boards came into effect the High Street was a sea of boards of varying shapes and sizes and in the most ill-thought locations. Some were strapped to street furniture and unmovable.

“The entrance to Bright's Path consistently had three boards to circumnavigate. Some premises had a board by the shop and another tied to a bollard with the seemingly obvious intent of compelling the passing pedestrian into noticing the board by narrowing the navigable path.”

Mr Wilkin said that under the Equality Act of 2010 there is a duty to maintain equality for all town users, and the ban on a-boards have helped with this.

He said: “Local authorities and traders have a legal duty to maintain equality for all users under the Equality Act 2010.

“For those with failing eyesight or with mobility issues the pavements can be a minefield of needing to avoid other users; street furniture; thoughtlessly parked vehicles and the squadrons of both moving and parked mobility scooters.

“At least since the imposition of the ban one less obstacle prohibits the enjoyment of the use of pavements for those of us who can't see as well as others.”

While Mr Wilkin does respect the need for local business advertising, he believes the High Street has become a safer and nicer place to walk since a-boards have been removed.

He added: “In this electronic age there must be more effective advertising methods than blockading pavements.”

“The ban has made the pavements a less dangerous place and I thank the council for that.

“By all means let us celebrate the rustic charm of Maldon High Street life. But not at the expense of its less able users.”